Chewy Chunky Blondies

A very lovely women I met through twitter, Christine Mosler, has just started up a new blog called Musings of a Musler. Where her first blog, Thinly Spread, is about her life as a mother, Musings is about her life as a writer. In a recent post entitled “A Writer in Ten Little Pieces” she describes how blogging has helped her fiction writing to flow more easily.

“When I discovered blogging in March of this year I finally began to let my writing go. It was wonderful to write a piece and press publish and to let it flutter out of my mind and be gone. Blogging enables me to clear my head of stuff and allows me to settle down to write fiction once it is gone. I see blogging as writing practice, a breathing space, a warm up and it’s wonderful.”

As soon as I read this piece, I began to think about my life as a writer and how this blog has helped me to discover a facet of it I had not explored before. I have throughout my life dabbled (like many of us) in short story writing which has included the odd course here and there. I have never taken it seriously enough to submit anything for publication and it has always been something I viewed very much as a hobby.

In the “pages” of this blog however, I find I can write about my own experiences and thoughts, and comment on the aspects of my life that are important to me. I have never been a journal keeper and my every day records are summed up by “1.00pm dentist for E” on the family calendar. So no one was more startled then me when out came word after word with little thought about where it was going or what it all meant. Like Christine describes above, blogging brings a kind of freedom that fiction writing never allowed me.

So I thought I would take the time to do Christine’s writing exercise and try and sum up myself as writer in 10 points. Now that my idea of myself as a writer has evolved.

1. I have always had a hard time finishing my stories. I can carefully craft a reasonable 1500 words but after that I usually bail.

2. I enjoy writing dialogue. It makes me think I should write a play. This also means that I cannot read a book with bad dialogue. If I don’t think they would say it, then the story is over for me.

3. A piece of feedback I received at a writing course summed it up by saying, “your writing is very intense.” I can be funny in real life and on this blog but in the story form I am very serious.

4. I cannot write lengthy descriptions about scenery and quite frankly those are the bits I tend to skip when I am reading.

5. I love the art of sentence structure. It’s a beautiful thing putting words together, making them flow, ensuring the one after lights up the one before. I spend a lot of time editing my work and reworking sentences is a large part of that.

6. The female story has always been something that has captivated me. From my first Women in Literature course freshman year at University to my new found blogging community, its her story that makes me read on.

7. Blogging has enabled me to step outside of my box and write from a perspective that I have never listened to before – my own. I always felt I had to convey my feelings and ideas from someone else’s voice. It’s a revelation that my own works as well as it does.

8. I have an on-going stream of consciousness in my head most of the time that responds and reacts to many of the nuances of every day life. It’s a wonderful thing to finally make some of those subconcious notions and images tangible.

9. I know there are limits to where I can take this blog. It’s not anonymous and it’s not fiction.

10. Writing/blogging must come from the heart. If it does it will naturally follow that what you write is authentic, unique and at all times respectful to the wants and needs of your readers. For it is only through your heart felt musings that you will be able to connect with the person on the other side; anything else will feel false and lay uneasy on their psyches.

If I was allowed an 11, it would follow that the gift I have been given is a precious one. I don’t underestimate it’s power or it’s privilege. In my journey as a blogger I have been lucky enough to meet many other women who are also investing time in the nurturing of this gift whether it be through their writing, their recipes and/or their photos. The world is full of some talented, creative, strong, supportive and just generally all round fabulous women and we have the power.

My life has never felt so enriched.

Tuesdays with Dorie – Chewy Chunky Blondies

Nicole at Cookies on Friday, chose these gorgeous blondie brownies for her Tuesdays with Dorie pick. They certainly were chewy and incredibly morish at the same time. A member of the group warned us against eating them while they were still warm as before you knew it a quarter of the pan would be gone! For UK readers, I used chopped up dime bars instead of butterscotch chips. Some people used reeces for a peanut butter taste. Apparently they are really really good with ice cream.

The fabrics used in these pictures were kindly donated by another creative force, Sarah Hardaker. Head over to her blog at Hardaker and Pope to find out more.

I’m glad you were able to find substitutions for the ingredients in the UK. My husband is British and I use some of his cookbooks and I am forever trying to figure out what ingredients to use. Thanks for baking with me this week!

It was great fun Nicole and an excellent choice. Let me know if you are ever stuck on ingredients. Luckily there are quite a few US websites now selling American food over here. It’s expensive but worth it every once in awhile.

I loved this post – it strikes so many chords with me too. I really love your last paragraph about the whole community: that’s how I feel. There are so many talented writers out there, brilliant photographers, amazing cooks, craftspeople – sometimes all at once. It’s absolutely great connecting with them all.

I love your style of writing. I definitely think you have found your voice. I can’t do scenery either – especially weather. Weather is hard.

No.10 of your points is so very true.

I mustn’t even look at those blondies. Just the mention of Reeces and ice cream and I’m in lust.

Thanks so much for the feedback Alison. It’s especially appreciated coming from someone who’s writing I so respect. A part of this community is meeting up with people like you and for that I am truly grateful. Hx

I think you have a wonderful ‘tone of voice’ in this blog, it’s so natural, it’s refreshing. I enjoy your blog and your writing. Like you I also feel grateful for the freedom to write what I like in my own voice. x

I love your writing – it’s that simple… you have such a magical way of marrying up your stories with your cooking. The only point I disagree with is No9, and I really do hope that someone comes along one of these days and demands that you do more with it – but you knew that already ;)

Thank you so much for running with this one lovely lady! I enjoy reading your blog so much (although it is not good for my waistline!), you write with such warmth and vigour. I’m rubbish at dialogue but love a bit of scene setting, perhaps we should join forces! xxx

Isn’t it lovely that these little blogs give us so much pleasure? I’ve gone through stages where I’ve thought about giving it up, then a fab recipe comes along, or something I want to talk about, and I’m off again! The added bonus is getting to know so many fantastic people – like you! xx